Desirous of giving cohesion to the efforts of his _savants_, and of honouring not only the useful arts but abstruse research, he united these pioneers of science in a society termed the Institute of Egypt.

On August 23rd, 1798, it was installed with much ceremony in the palace of one of the Beys, Monge being president and Bonaparte vice-president.

The general also enrolled himself in the mathematical section of the institute.
Indeed, he sought by all possible means to aid the labours of the _savants_, whose dissertations were now heard in the large hall of the harem that formerly resounded only to the twanging of lutes, weary jests, and idle laughter.

The labours of the _savants_ were not confined to Cairo and the Delta.

As soon as the victories of Desaix in Upper Egypt opened the middle reaches of the Nile to peaceful research, the treasures of Memphis were revealed to the astonished gaze of western learning.